Prayers and Sayings - Help

[Amatullah]

It seems like I am continually hearing about more prayers and different things I'm not doing. It can be so overwhelming that I end up not knowing what to try and learn next. I know that we are supposed to attempt to follow the Prophet's (pbuh) example and the companions, but going from extreme neglect to extreme devotion is far too daunting. I think it would be helpful to know what a 'regular' person does to begin with. I just need an idea about what happens from the 'second' you awake (do you say something, pray, get out of bed after something, on one foot?), to whether or not you get up in the night for prayer before Fajr and if so, when is the best time and what do you say. And do you do wudu before you go to bed. I just read about whe the Prophet says when he is doing ablution, but since many of us do that in the bathroom, I don't think we're supposed to do that? I realize we aren't supposed to go by what others do necessarily, but I think I need some baby steps. The five pillars are fairly clear, but the gazillion other things are not. Is there some kind of schedule or daily planner? I just found this site. Is it okay?

[Truth Knight]

The five pillars are Islam. You only need these to be a good Muslim.

That said, basically there's a prayer that the prophet (PBUH) said or did for almost any and all occasions. There are prayers for thanking Allah (SWT) after eating or drinking

Thanks to Allah who fed us and gave us drink and made us Muslims. O Allah, bless what you have given us and give us better than it and save us from hellfire.

There are prayers he said when he woke up

Alhamdo lellah -thanks and praise be to Allah- who made us live after making us die, and to Him is resurrection.

There are prayers to say after Salah

Astaghfir-ullah al'azeem (three times), Ayah Al Korsy from Sourat Al Baqarah, Sobhan Allah -all praise is to Allah- (33 times), Alhamdo lellah -all thanks are to Allah- (33 times), Allaho akbar -Allah is greater- (33 times)

(and about a zillion more as you said)

There are prayers to say before going to bed, others before and after going in and out of the bathroom, etc...

Don't think of these as a "must do" right away. Concentrate on the five pillars, master them, then move on to one prayer to make it a habit for you. For example, what to say after eating. Once this is down well enough, move on to another one and so on. That's how Mohammad (PBUH) did it. He didn't just wake up one day doing all those prayers and rituals. He did them bit by bit and over the course of his life.

Allah (SWT) informed us that the best obedience a servant can do is the continuous one. Meaning if I make a habit of saying "Alhamdo lellah" 10 times when you wake up -for example- and do this every day till I die, this is more pleasing to Allah (SWT) than doing long prayers that I can't keep on doing.

About the ablution prayers, since we do them in the bathroom now, you say everything you're supposed to say in your heart, not out loud.

Don't know if this was helpful, so please ask more on anything that's not clear.

Allah (SWT) knows best.

[Amatullah]

Shukran brother. So which would be a priority? Memorizing more surahs for my daily prayers or learning the other prayers? Jak!

[Ms Knight]

I have an opinion here, memorizing new Qur'an verses in not only important for the daily prayer, it is a Hasana infront of every letter you read and memorize from the verses, and a big thing to help us to path the Judgement day, it is said it The Qur'an is a Light for us that day. See series 54 and 55 of Karem's post about reading and studying Qura'a.

At the same times prayers are very important too, it is one of the most worshipths that Allah (SWT) lkes, he likes to hear us asking him always and praying him. It is the only thing that he made a reason to change with it your fate.

So why don't you do both in an easy way; you could say this week is for new suras and the coming InsaAllah is for new prayers.

[Truth Knight]

As Ms.K. said, they're both important. If we have to prioritize for focus, I'd go for memorizing the Holy Qur'an first, then the other prayers. Although you can pick up a couple of prayers and make them a werd -habit to do them regularly- while memorizing the Holy Qur'an.

[Amatullah]

Shukran again to both of you! MsK., I make dua'a after salaat each prayer, even if it's short at times. It's the 'non-fard' prayers of the Prophet (pbuh) that I've been wondering about. One of the first hadiths I ever remember hearing was the one about seeking forgiveness. I was trying to remember exactly where it came from and I just did a search and it was our group that showed up here on the Google search! Yaaaay!! It was this one:

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah(PBUH) said, "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! If you do not commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah will certainly forgive them ..''

It impressed me with how important repentance is and prayer. Jak!!

[Amira]

Yeah, indeed it's great.

Remember Amatullah when I told you that if man didn't sin or make a mistake, Allah (SWT) would replace him & his mankind with others who would sin & ask Him (SWT) for forgiveness & you were wondering how that could be? That's the hadith for it .


That's how merciful Allah (SWT) is on us

[Ms Knight]

Not only this Amatullah, and all our "saye'at" or bad points we got for commiting sins, with repentance will turn to "hasanat" good points Insha'Allah to our favor on the judgement day.